The Athenaeum Club, named after the Greek Goddess Athena, goddess of wisdom, art, industries and warfare, was founded in 1905 by President Andrew Sledd and several faculty members to provide a forum where faculty could exchange ideas and opinions concerning contemporary issues. It is the oldest faculty organization at the University of Florida. Sledd served as first president, Edward R. Flint, professor of chemistry, as vice-president, and Charles L. Crow, professor of romance languages, as secretary.

Club by-laws stipulate that each member must submit a paper and lead a discussion period with the intent to deposit all essays in the library or submit them for publication. Material for speeches concern such topics as health and science, sociology, economics, history, the supernatural, nature and conservation, geography, energy, etc.

The collection includes minutes, correspondence, a constitution and by-laws, lists of members, and a brief history. Also included are copies of papers delivered between 1967 and 1994 as well as several earlier ones.